Gas-meter.



No. 798,948. PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905. G. GAPFARO & J. v. BRAOOO.

GAS METER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.14. 1905.

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gm un [Mew as awue'wbmd N0- 798,948. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. G. GAPFARO& J. V. BRACGO.

GAS METER.

urmon'mx FILED um. 14, 1905.

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HERARDO C.-\FFAR() AND JOSE VICTOR BRACCO, ()F BUENOS AYRES, AM ENll NA.

GAS-METER.

Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed April 14,1905. Serial No. 255,644.

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lie it known that \VL.,(ilG1-L\1il)()CAFFARH, me chanical engineer, andJosn VIo'ron BHACUO,

employee, subjects of the King of Italy, re-

connected with the same which insure their constantexact working andprevent these ap- 'paratus from being tampered with.

A further advantage of these improvements is that the necessary amountof water may be constantly kept in the apparatus without the necessityof looking after the same and filling in additional water as often asheretofore, it being besides impossible to withdraw from the apparatusany such amount of water as may interfere with the accurate function ofthe gas-meter, and the construction of the several parts such that noinstruments or other foreign matter may be introduced into the same forthe purpose of interrupting or disturbing the measuring appliances.

To facilitate the understamling of our invention, a gas-meterconstructed in accordance with the same has been represented in theaccompanying drawings, wherein like figures of reference indicate likeparts in all the views.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the gas-meter, with partsthereof in vertical section. Fig. shows a sectional view of aslide-valve provided with a float for letting out any superfluous water.Fig. 3 is a front view of said slide-valve with parts shown in dottedlines. Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a feed-valve throughwhich the gas passes from the gas-meter to the distrilnitingpipes whichlead to the burners. Fig. 5 is a front view of another slide-valve withfloat which prevents the escape of gas through the water-compartment aswell as the withdrawal of water from the nieasuring-chamber, and Fig. 6is a sectional view of a counterbalanced flap-valve which prevents thegas from returning to and air-currents from entering the mains.

Referring to Fig. 1, the gas enters from the mains through theinlet-pipe 1 into the compartment 2 and thence through thecounterbalanced flap-valve I) into the measuring-chambcr 4, and here itenters the tube 5 and passes through compartment (3 upward to theoutlet. The measuring appliances and their arrangement are of the commontype and will therefore not further be described. 7 is the compartment.for filling in the water, provided with the inlet 8. At a certainheighta curved tube or siphon S) is connected with its upper end to thepartition-wall 10, and at its lower end a rectangular vertical casing11. is secured. (See Fig. 5.) \Vithin this casing 11 slides the slide19, which normally closes the port 13 of the casing. To the upper end ofthe slide 12 a float 14 has been fixed, which when the water in thecmnpartment surpasses a certain height causes the slide 12 to ascend.Beneath the opening 8 a plate 15 has been fixed, so as to protect thefloat let from being pushed down or d isturbcd otherwise. When the levelof the water in compartment 4: has reached a certain height, all suchadditional water as may enter into said compartment will flow outthrough the upper end of the tube 16, leading through the bottom 1'? ofcompartment at into the con'ipartnient 18, where it remains until italso surpasses here a predetermined level, whereupon the float 19 willascend and lift the slide 20, provided in the casing 21, so that itsopening 22 (see Fig. 9) corresponds with the openings 23 of the casing,by which the water will thus be allowed to flow out through the tube 2&and spout 25. A vertical transversal partition 26 has been provided inthe tube 21, so as to protect the slide-valve 20 from being operatedupon in any undue manner by means of a tool or the like. The valve 26,provided at the outlet of the gas-meter,

is of such particular construction that it will only allow of thepassing of the gas-current in one direction that is to say, from thegasmeter to the burner-pipes--so that a current going in the oppositedirection. such as might, for instance, be produced by blowing into thepipe above the valve-casing 26" for the purpose of causing theindicators to move backward, will not pass.

As may be seen in Fig. i, in the lower part of the valve-casing 26 ashort tube 27 has been fitted, of which the upper beveled end is liableto be closed by a flap 28, which is, however, normally held open by thespring 29, so as to allow the gas to pass upward through the valve. Inorder that this flap 28 may be closed when an air-current is blown fromabove into the valve-casing, a kind of funnel 30 is fitted into theupper end of the valvecasing, with its outlet 31 arranged in such a wayas to direct said air-current directly upon the flap 28, which will bepressed down onto the tube 27 against the resistance of the spring 29,so that the communication between the pipe or the valve 26 and thegas-meter is cut ofl during all such time as an air-current or other isbeing forced down into the valve.

The float 14: by means of its slide 12 normally keeps shut the opening13of the casing 11; but when water is being filled in the compartment 7the float, which will ascend with the level of the water, lifts theslide 12, so that the water is now free to pass through the opening 18and tube 9 into compartment 4:, where its level is always constant,owing to the superfluous Water passing through tube 16 down intocompartment 18. From this it will be gathered that the gas cannot at anytime pass from compartment 4 to the chamber 7 since when there is littlewater in this latter the float 14 and slide 12 keep the communication 13shut by their own weight, and as long as a high-water level keeps thefloat, with its slide, afloat the water flowing during that time fromcompartment 7 to the chamher 4 does not allow of any gas passing intheopposite direction. It will also be seen that it is quite impossible towithdraw any water from compartment t through the compartment 7, sincealthough all the water contained in this latter compartment had beenpumped out by introducing a rubber tube or other into the opening 8, thecommunication 13, which is in that case kept perfectly closed by theslide 12 with float 14, will not admit of any water being drawn bysuction from compartment 4: into compartment 7 The flap-valve(represented in Fig. 6) will prove very useful in the case that, owingto a defective operation of the valve 26, aperson should try to force anair current down through this valve into compartment 1 for the purposeof moving the indicators backward such current would pass to a verylimited extent only, since as said flap-valve 3 will not allow of anyreturn-current therethrough to the mains the air-pressure produced inthe chamber 4: would soon render impossible the introduction of any moreair.

Having thus clearly described and ascertained our said invention and inwhat manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas-meter, the combination with a measuring-chamber, of aliquid-compartment, a siphon mounted in the latter and communieatingwith the former, a valve for closing the siphon and afloat for operatingsaid valve.

2. In a gas-meter, the combination with a measuring-chamber, of aliquid-compartment normally open to the atmosphere, a siphon mounted inthe liquid-compartment and entering the measuring-chamber, a casing onthe lower end of the siphon, a slide-valve mounted in the casing and afloat mounted on said slide.

3. In a gas-meter, the combination with a measuring-chamber and acommunicating liquid-compartment, of a waste-chamber communicating withthe measuring-chamber and a valve in the Waste-chamber automaticallyoperable by a predetermined amount of water in said chamber.

4:. In a gas-meter, the combination with a measuring chamber, a watercompartment and a waste-chamber communicating with themeasuring-chamber, of means for regulating the discharge from thewaste-chamber comprising a conduit leading from the chamber, a valve fornormally closing one end of sai conduit and a float for operating saidvalve.

5. The combination with the waste-chamber, of avconduit communicatingwith the atmosphere, a slide mounted on one end of said conduit adaptedto close the same and having an opening adapted to register with theopening of the conduit, a float to operate said slide, and a partitionin said conduit, for the purpose specified.

6. A gas meter having an outlet port through which a current can flow inone direction only, comprising a gravity-operating element, a seattherefor, and means above said element to direct a reverse current ontothe same.

7 A gas-meter having an outlet-port designed to permit a current of gasto flow in one direction only, comprising a casing, a gravity-operatedflap pivoted therein, a seat for said flap, and means above the latterto direct a reverse current onto the top of the flap.

8. A gas-meter having an outlet-port designed to permit a current of gasto flow in one direction only, comprising a casing, adiagonally-disposed seat in said casing, a gravity-operating flappivoted above said seat and adapted to close the same, a spring tonormally hold the valve off its seat, and a deflecting surface mountedin the casing parallel with the valve-seat, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Buenos Ayres, this 10thday of March, 1905.

GERARDO CAFFARO. JOSE VICTOR BRACCO. WVitnesses:

ALFREDO FENER, P. An'ro. L. BELLA.

